IMAX will close its last VR cinemas

IMAX Corporation will close the last three VR cinemas in the first quarter of 2019. It concerns the locations in Toronto, Bangkok and Los Angeles. Four locations have already closed in the past year, including the only European IMAX VR cinema, in Manchester.

A document from the US stock market regulator SEC shows that the last cinemas are closed by IMAX. Variety was the first to notice the document and contacted a company spokesperson: “After the IMAX VR trial started, we wanted to test a number of different concepts and locations to see which approaches worked. centers, we have decided to finalize the program and close the three remaining locations.”

In 2016, IMAX announced that it wanted to open six VR cinemas. The first IMAX VR location opened on February 14, 2017 in Los Angeles. The Star Wars: Trials of Tatooine experience featured there, equipment included HTC Vive goggles, a Subpac vest with haptic sensors, a cabin and a D-BOX motion seat. IMAX has also collaborated with Warner Bros. to a Justice League experience. The company had set up a $50 million fund for the centers.

Commenting on the quarterly results in early 2018, CEO Richard Gelford admitted that while the public response was positive, “the numbers failed to materialize.” In total, IMAX opened seven locations: in Manchester, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Toronto, Bangkok and two locations in New York.